Strangers help out ailing teacher who raises funds for kids

By Agencies |Posted 10-Jul-2014

In what he calls the ‘easiest fundraiser,’ Drew Vinson has been collecting funds to finance treatment for his friend Craig MacDonald, who works for charity

Nova Scotia: Craig MacDonald, an elementary teacher from Halifax, is getting the helping hand he deserves. When MacDonald, who is known in Halifax for raising money for sick children, found himself battling an illness of his own, his friends decided it was time to return some kindness and help MacDonald out, CBC News reported. After Drew Vinson, MacDonald’s friend, learned of his diagnosis, he started a crowdfund campaign to help MacDonald with travel and other bills while he was in the hospital.

Vinson started his campaign a week ago, and had raised more than CA$4,600 (about $4,300) as of Tuesday morning, according to his Crowdtilt page. “It’s probably the easiest (fundraiser) I’ve even been involved with to get people behind, because everyone loves Craig so much and have been touched by so many of his events,” he told CBC.

GOOD KARMA: Drew Vinson says he is raising funds for his friend Craig, the ‘king of fundraising’ himself

MacDonald is usually the one giving back. Every year since 2005, he has thrown a New Year’s Eve gala that raises money to bring a sick child’s dreams to life. He works in conjunction with the Children’s Wish Foundation, and over the years has raised more than CA$100,000 (about $93,590), according to Vinson’s Crowdtilt page.

Later this month, Vinson will hold a fundraiser akin to the ones that MacDonald has organised to ‘raise funds for the king of fundraising himself.’ Vinson wrote on his crowdfund website, “Let’s see if we can give a little back to a man who’s always given all that he can.”